Most Crimeans are expected to receive Russian passports within three months, Russia's Federal Migration Service (FMS) deputy head Anatoly Fomenko said.
Fomenko said an overwhelming majority of the population would receive Russian passports within three months.
All Ukrainian citizens and people without citizenship permanently residing in Crimea and Sevastopol as of March 18, 2014, will be recognised as citizens of the Russian Federation, except those who state within the month after March 18 that they want to remain citizens of Ukraine or have no citizenship.
Crimean residents will not have to pay fees for Russian passports until Jan 1, 2015.